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NATIONAL PRIORITIES IN EDUCATION PERFORMANCE REPORT 2003
EDUCATION AUTHORITY INFORMATION

SHETLAND ISLANDS COUNCIL

This report summarises some of the key points set out in Shetland Islands Council's Education Service Improvement Plan December 2002, its Improvement Plan Report January 2003 and its Service Improvement Plan Update, April 2003.

For a full understanding of the position in this education authority and its plans for improvement you should refer directly to these documents or contact Helen Budge (01595 744 064;Education@sic.shetland.gov.uk).

The summary is presented here under individual National Priority in Education outcomes for simplicity but the actions and programmes referred to may often relate to more than one National Priority.

NATIONAL PRIORITY 1 - ACHIEVEMENT AND ATTAINMENT

To raise standards of educational attainment for all in schools, especially in the core skills of literacy and numeracy, and to achieve better levels in national measures of achievement including examination results

Outcome 1 - Increased levels of numeracy and literacy

PIPS has been used to establish performance baselines and to support target setting focused on individual pupils. Pupils' progress in relation to baselines such as this and in respect of their targets is monitored and tracked.

Access units and clusters have been introduced into all secondary schools. Pupils have been encouraged to take a full set of Higher courses.

The overall performance of schools is analysed by an external consultancy. Schools receive feedback from the analysis. This feedback is increasingly used to plan for improvement.

The charts below provide information on the attainments in reading, writing and mathematics achieved by pupils in Shetland Islands Council's primary schools and in the first two years of secondary school. They also provide information on the targets which the education authority has set in respect of these aspects of pupils' learning.

Chart 1. Percentage of pupils in P3, 4, 6 and 7 meeting or exceeding age appropriate 5-14 levels in reading, writing and mathematics in Shetland Islands Council, its comparator authorities and nationally at end June 2002.

Shetland Islands Council has set targets with its primary schools to raise levels of attainment between now and the end of school session 2004/2005.

Chart 2. Levels of attainment at end June 2002 compared with anticipated percentage of pupils in P3, 4, 6 and 7 who will meet or exceed age appropriate 5-14 levels in reading, writing and mathematics in Shetland Islands Council and nationally by the end of school session 2004/2005.

Chart 3. Percentage of pupils in S2 meeting or exceeding their age appropriate 5-14 level, level E, in reading, writing and mathematics in Shetland Islands Council, its comparator authorities and nationally at end June 2002.

Shetland Islands Council has set targets with secondary schools to raise these levels of attainment between now and the end of school session 2004/2005.

Chart 4. Levels of attainment at end June 2002 compared with anticipated percentage of pupils in S2 who will meet or exceed their age appropriate 5-14 level, level E, in reading, writing and mathematics in Shetland Islands Council and nationally by the end of school session 2004/2005.

All of the pupils who left Shetland Islands' secondary schools in 2002 attained SCQF level 3 or better in both English and mathematics. Nationally 92.6% did this and 93.8% of pupils did this in comparator authorities. The authority has set a target that all of its pupils should continue to achieve these levels of attainment. The equivalent national target is 94%.

Outcome 2 - Improved examination results

The charts below provide information on the attainments in National Qualifications achieved by pupils in Shetland Islands Council's secondary schools. They also provide information on the targets which the education authority has set in respect of these aspects of pupils' learning.

Chart 5. Levels of attainment (a three-year average for 1999/2000 to 2001/2002) of pupils in Shetland Islands Council's secondary schools in National Qualifications (post-appeal) compared with attainment in comparator authorities and nationally.

Shetland Islands Council has set targets with its secondary schools to raise levels of attainment in National Qualifications by the end of school session 2004/2005.

Chart 6. Levels of attainment (a three-year average for 1999/2000 to 2001/2002) of pupils in Shetland Islands Council's secondary schools in National Qualifications (post-appeal) compared with anticipated levels of attainment (a three-year average for 2002/2003 to 2004/2005) locally and nationally by the end of school session 2004/2005.

NATIONAL PRIORITY 2 - FRAMEWORK FOR LEARNING

To support and develop the skills of teachers, the self-discipline of pupils and to enhance school environments so that they are conducive to teaching and learning

Outcome 1 - Continuing professional development of teachers' skills

Professional Review and Development arrangements have been introduced in all schools as part of the authority's quality assurance policy.

Outcome 2 - Increased self-discipline of pupils

Circle Time is used in almost all schools. Also, various forms of buddying and mentoring are now being introduced in some schools.

The levels of attendance and exclusions in Shetland Islands Council's schools are shown below.

Levels of attendance

The authority has set itself the targets of having an average percentage attendance in primary schools of 96.6% and 94.4% in secondary schools by the end of session 2004/2005. The national target for attendance by the end of session 2004/2005 is 95% for primary and 90% for secondary. These figures have been rounded to the nearest whole number.

Exclusions from schools

The very small number of exclusions from the authority's schools has made it difficult to set a target. In general terms, the authority remains committed to maintaining the very low levels of exclusion displayed currently in its schools.

Outcome 3 - Enhanced school environments which are more conducive to teaching and learning

The pupil:adult ratio in the education authority's primary schools is 9.7:1 currently. Shetland Islands has set itself the target of 13.2:1 by the end of school session 2004/2005. The ratio nationally is 14.2:1.

The Quality Assurance Policy was approved by Council and is now being implemented in all schools to improve the quality of educational experience of all pupils.

NATIONAL PRIORITY 3 - INCLUSION AND EQUALITY

To promote equality and help every pupil benefit from education with particular regard paid to pupils with disabilities and special educational needs, and to Gaelic and lesser used languages

Outcome 1 - Every pupil benefits from education

Looked after children have been provided with enhanced access to ICT, educational software and other resources. The ICT resources purchase included digital camera equipment. The children have also been provided with enhanced opportunities for leisure and recreation.

The number of children looked after by Shetland Islands Council is small. The percentage of children looked after by the Council aged 16 or 17 who left care with qualifications in English and mathematics at SCQF level 3 or above in school session 2001/2002 was 0% on the basis of the information submitted through the Children Looked After Survey (CLAS). Nationally, the percentage of pupils was 29%. Shetland Islands Council has set itself a target of 100% achieving English and mathematics at SCQF level 3 or above in school session 2004/2005.

The average tariff score of the lowest attaining 20% of pupils in the authority's secondary schools is 111. The average tariff score of the lowest attaining 20% of pupils nationally is 58 and in its comparator authorities it is 73. Shetland has set itself the target of raising the average tariff score of the lowest attaining 20% of its pupils to115 by the end of the school session 2004/2005.

6.8% of primary pupils are entitled to free school meals; 88.0% of these pupils actually take a school meal. 5.0% of secondary pupils are entitled to a free school meal with 73.4% of these pupils actually taking up their entitlement. Nationally, the uptake percentages for primary and secondary are 79.2% and 59.1% respectively.

The roll out of the New Community School initiative was continued. An Integrated Children's Services Manager was appointed.

Outcome 2 - Every pupil benefits from education, with particular regard paid to pupils with disabilities and special educational needs

Shetland Islands Council, along with all other education authorities, has prepared and published an action plan setting out how it will improve access to school buildings and the formal and informal curriculum for people with disabilities over the next few years. This action plan was based on a programme of facilities and other audits.

The authority has established a Family Services Centre, the purpose of which is to support families with young children by giving them easy access to a range of integrated services.

Pupils in Shetland Islands who have recorded special educational needs, as defined currently, have an Individualised Educational Programme (IEP). In these programmes targets are set with and for individual pupils; these targets help to structure and focus pupils' learning.

Of mainstream primary pupils with special educational needs in Shetland, 95.0% receive all of their education in a mainstream class. 0% of primary mainstream pupils with special educational needs in Shetland receive all of their education in a special unit attached to a mainstream school. For secondary, the figures are 77.2% and 2.8% respectively. Nationally the percentages for the primary sector are 83% and 3%; for secondary they are 73% and 4%. For its comparator authorities the percentages for the primary sector are 78.2% and 3.7%; for secondary they are 49.0% and 9.7%.

Shetland has no special school but has four special departments within schools which accommodated 51 pupils in 2001/2002.

It should be recognised that the collection of this SEN data in 2000/2001 may not have been universally robust.

Outcome 3 - Every pupil benefits from education, with particular regard paid to Gaelic and lesser used languages

The authority received no requests for Gaelic medium education.

A database of learners with a first language other than English was set up.

NATIONAL PRIORITY 4 - VALUES AND CITIZENSHIP

To work with parents to teach pupils respect for self and one another and their interdependence with other members of their neighbourhood and society and teach them the duties and responsibilities of citizenship in a democratic society

Outcome 1 - Increased respect for self and others

The pupils in the education authority's schools are involved in a wide range of activities which encourage them to work with others and which are designed to promote their personal and social development ( see section on Quality Indicators).

The authority is engaged in the SpinVIP Programme.

Outcome 2 - Increased awareness of interdependence with other members of their neighbourhood and society and teach them the duties and responsibilities of citizenship in a democratic society

A few schools across the authority are engaged in environmental awards schemes. Two schools have gained all four Eco flags.

The Global Classroom conference was held in the Czech Republic. This brings together pupils, staff and delegates from six countries across the world to discuss and tackle issues relevant to the National Priorities. From the discussion it was clear that Values and Citizenship was not only a Scottish National Priority but an international priority.

NATIONAL PRIORITY 5 - LEARNING FOR LIFE

To equip pupils with the foundation skills, attitudes and expectations necessary to prosper in a changing society and to encourage creativity and ambition

Outcome 1 - Pupils are equipped with the necessary foundation skills, attitudes and expectations to prosper in a changing society

Supported study programmes are available in all schools.

The Active Primary School Programme operates in a cluster of primary schools. This will be rolled out to all primary schools.

The Active Schools Programme operates in all secondary schools in Shetland.

Staff from all primary schools have received training in the use of a range of enterprise education materials. Schools' provision for careers education is to be audited. The results of the audit will be used as a basis for planning improvements in provision.

Chart 7. School leaver destinations; percentage of pupils leaving Shetland Islands Council's secondary schools in 2002 and going on to Higher Education and other destinations compared with comparator authorities and the national position.

Shetland Islands Council has set itself the target of raising the percentage of school leavers who go on to Higher Education after leaving school in June 2005 to 30%.

Outcome 2 - Increased levels of creativity and ambition in young people

Initiatives referred to in National Priority 5, Outcome 1 and, indeed, throughout this report have a bearing on this outcome.

QUALITY INDICATORS

Shetland Council's schools have used HGIOS in their regular, moderated self-evaluations to reach informed judgements on where they stand currently in relation to these processes. These judgements are summarised below:

• most judged that the 'overall quality of attainment' in their schools was good or very good and that they were good or very good at promoting 'expectations and achievement'
• the majority judged that they had good or very good arrangements for 'staff review and development' and most judged that the 'climate and relationships' in their schools were good or very good while almost all judged that they had good or very good 'accommodation and facilities'
• most schools judged that their schools' arrangements for the promotion of 'equality and fairness' were good or very good
• most thought that their arrangements for 'learning support' were good or very good, almost all thought that their arrangements for the 'placement of pupils with SEN and disabilities' were good or very good and the majority thought that they were good or very good at the 'implementation of SEN and disability legislation'
• most judged that their arrangements for supporting the 'personal and social development' of young people were good or very good and the majority judged they had good or very good 'partnership with parents, the School Board and the community'
• most judged that the overall quality of their 'pupils' learning experiences' was good or very good.

Authorities and schools will be continuing to build up their expertise in self-evaluation and moderation of progress with the National Priorities over the period to the end of school session 2004/2005. Some self-evaluation in this report is therefore provisional at this stage. HMIE are undertaking independent and robust external evaluation of how well Scottish schools and education authorities are delivering the National Priorities in Education and their report will be published after the end of school session 2004/2005.

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